Leslie's Bio

Feb. 5, 1996

Dear Influential Voice,

 I hooked up with CHICK GRANING in September of '92 just a couple of weeks
after he decided it was time to leave Anastasia Screamed, a band signed to
Fire Records whose two full length albums, EPs, and various singles had
generated some critical acclaim and a small loyal fan base, but not much
else.  Chick left his home state of Tennessee and headed to the Boston area
settling in Providence, RI.

 By February of '93, Chick had recruited RISD art student and DC native JOYCE
RASKIN on bass and JUD EHRBAR on drums.  SCARCE was born.

 I remember the first SCARCE show.  They weren't tight as a band, but God did
they rock-the intensity, the passion, the willingness to put it all out there
so honestly and the total lack of pretentions.  I knew the only thing missing
time would take care of.  I wasn't prepared for how fast.
 
  Seven months later, between the indies and the majors (foreign and domestic)
there were 26 labels at the door.  While I was happy to have options, well
suffice it to say I'm a bit of a cynic where the industry is concerned.  Their 
words were falling on deaf ears.  What did speak to me was when, as a
totally unknown, unheard of band with no releases, they opened for Madder
Rose and Juliana Hatfield.  The response of 1500 kids spoke to me.  It was the
same day we received our first 7" single, so we put some in the merchandising
booth.  They sold out before the set was over.  That night, the kids told me
what the industry never could.
 
 We decided A&M was the label for us.  In the meantime, we released three 7"
singles in the US.  Then Fire Records decided they were ready to enforce
their contractual rights (rights-Yeah, right..) to Chick after years of
apathy.  Lawyers.  Need I say more?  If we couldn't record for anyone, then
f**k 'em.  We compiled the 3 singles into an EP and released it ourselves.
The RED EP was first released overseas through Big Cat and it's European
affiliates.  SCARCE played Popkomm in Germany with Pavement, London with the
Flaming Lips and the Reading Festival.  Press raved.  Radio One made "All
Sideways" single of the week twice.  Anastasia Screamed's history was
rewritten.  Now, they had been 'criminally ignored.'  RED was released in the
US, Canada, Australia and Japan as well, but touring Europe was just too much
fun.
  
 Legal issues resolved, it was time to make a full length record.  Three
weeks before the start of that, JUD left to pursue other interests and
musical (drummer) chairs ensued.  3 drummers, 3 European tours (Grant Lee
Buffalo, Shudder To Think and Hole), and the recording of a full length
record (Deadsexy) later, Scarce finally found THE drummer in JOSEPH
PROPATIER.  On June 11, 1995, CHICK and JOYCE asked JOE to join SCARCE.

 On June 12, CHICK didn't return my calls nor pick JOYCE up for practice, so
she decided to head over to his apartment.  In the face of ridicule for her
concern, JOYCE proceded to enlist help and break his door in.  He was rushed
to the hospital and the doctors said he wouldn't make it through the night.
 They didn't know CHICK.  He was diagnosed with an arterial venous
malformation.  Basically, there was a connection between an artery and a vein
that caused a cross current that finally clogged up and hemorrhaged. (It was
that same condition that sent Raquel Welch and crew off course in the movie
"Fantastic Voyage") It is something people are born with and of those who
hemorrhage, 90% don't make it.  He was in a coma for 2 weeks.  He was in the
hospital for two months.  He underwent lengthy brain surgery to correct the
problem permanently.  2 months after the surgery, he walked back onstage
after relearning his own material.

 DEADSEXY was released in Europe, but when CHICK went down, we postponed the
release everywhere else.  Needless to say, after what CHICK had been through,
some of the songs on DEADSEXY seemed spiritually obsolete.  So SCARCE will
enter the studio in March to record material for a revised version of
DEADSEXY with an eye towards an early summer release.  In the meantime,
SCARCE is on the road and we would like to extend an invitation to you to go
see them when they land in your city.

 I've often said I feel incredibly honored and privileged to work with
SCARCE. It hasn't been the smoothest road, (of course, anyone who thinks it
can be might as well get out now) but with CHICK's return and the addition of
JOE, JOYCE summed it up quite well, "How often does a band get the chance to
be a new band again?"  It's that kind of attitude that makes me feel honored
and it's the music that makes me feel privileged.  I apologize for not even
attempting to describe the music to you, but since I am acutely aware of my
own limitations, (You write about music, not me...) I resort to the famous
quote "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."  And then
I'll let the music speak for itself.  

          Sincerely,



          Leslie Aldredge, Manager

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